Boiler feed apparatus.



G. H. GIBSON.

BOILER FEED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1912.

Emma Aug; 31, 1915.

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IN VE'N TOR Y WITNSSES A TTORNEY To all whom it may cohcefrfii STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEO E H. eIEsoN, 0E MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR- T0 JOSEPH s. LovERINe WEAR-TON, WILLIAM s. HALLQWELL, AND JOHN c, JONES, ALL OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, TRADING As EIRM 0 IIARRIsoN sAEE'rY EoILER woRKs, 0F

. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

, EoILER EEEE ArrARA'rus.

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. GIBSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Montclair, in the county of Essex and State'of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Boiler Feed Apparatus, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being-had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.'

My present invention consists in simple and efiectiveapparatus primarily adapted for receiving and measuring water of con-' densation from condensers, radiators, steam traps and the like and which is subsequently to be delivered to a steam generating boiler or like device as conditions demand. My improved apparatus comprises a weir chamber containing a weir over or through which the water flows and measuring provisions proper which are responsive to the accumulation of the water on the supply side of the weir and also comprises means for diverting the condensation returns from the weir chamber on a predetermined accumulation of water in the weir chamber on the outlet side of the weir andprovisions for supplying and measuring the make up water required from time to time to supplement the condensation returns when there is need for water in excess of that furnished by the condensation return connections.

My invention is of particular utility When used in a boiler feed system in which the boiler feed pump forces the condensation re turns and make up water, when such isbeing supplied, from the weir chamber into theboiler through a closed feed water heater. In such case the outlet compartment of the weir chamber takes the place of and makes unnecessary the usual hot well or receiver otherwise required and this in conjunction with the water supply regulating provisions referred to above not only makes it possible toreadily measure the water pumped through the closed heater, but

- in addition gives the boiler feed system as a whole certain desirable characteristics Thevarious features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity the claims annexed to and forming'a part of this specification.

Specification of Letters latent. Patented Aug, 31 1915, Application filed January 20, 1912. Serial No. 672,373.

For a better understanding of the invention however and the advantages possessed by it, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described a form in which my invention may be embodied. I

The one figure of the drawing is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation, partly in section, of a boiler feed system embodying my invention. v In the drawings, A represents the weir chamber which is divided into an inlet compartment A and an outlet compartment A by a weir B having a notched discharge orifice or orifices B at its upper edge. The water of condensation to be measured passes to the inlet compartment of the weir chamber through the supply connection E, and the make up water is supplied to this compartment by the pipe F. To insure a quiet flow of water and the avoidance of undesirable eddies in the inlet chamber a bafifle C is arranged in the supply compartment between the weir and the water supply connections E and F. The measured water passes out of the weir chamber through the \pipe connection G which opens from the lower end of the outlet compartment A As shown the pipe G leads to the boiler feed pump H and the delivery pipe GA of the pump leads to a closed water heater I.

- I represents the delivery pipe V leading from the heater I to the boiler or other device supplied with the measured and heated water. Steam for heating the Water passed through the heater I is supplied through the pipe I which may advantageously contain an oil separator conventionally illustrated at J. The pipe E is normally connected to the condensation return pipe K through a valve casing L. The pipe K as shown leads from a condenser K.

K represents a condensation return pipe which may lead from radiators of steam means of the drip pipe I discharging into the pipe K above the Valve casing L.

The supply of make up water to the weir chamber through the pipe F is regulated by the valve F which is controlled by a float N located in the outlet compartment of the weir chamber. As shown the float N is carried by an arm connected to a rock shaft N which has a second arm connected to the movable member of the valve F by a link F The float N is located near the bottom of the compartment A and holds the valve F closed except when the level of water in the outlet compartment of the weir chamber falls sufliciently to allow the float N to move down from the position shown in the drawing.

To prevent the water from accumulating in the outlet compartment A of the weir chamber to a height which would interfere with the free flow of water over the weir and thusintroduce errors in the measurements, a float M is provided for operating the movable valve member L of the valve L to divert the condensation returns away from the pipe E and into a pipe K leading to waste or to a supplemental storage reservoir. 'As shown in the drawing the float M is carried at the end of an arm secured to a rock shaft M, and a second arm secured to the rock shaft M is connected by a link L to an arm L secured to the movable valve member L.

The pressure in the vapor space of the weir chamber should be equalized with the pressure in the vapor space of the apparatus from which the water of condensa tion comes. When this apparatus is freely vented to the atmosphere it is suflicient, of course, to vent the weir chamber to the atmosphere but when the said. apparatus is operated under a vacuum or under a back pressure equalizing connections must be employed. As shown these connections comprise a pipe 0 leading'from the top of the weir chamber and connected with a pipe 0- running to the vapor space of the condenser K and, as shown, also with a vent pipe 0 and with the pipe 0 running to the vapor space of the closed heater 1. Each of these pipes is provided with a controlling valve OA by which it may be disconnected from the other equalizing pipes referred to, as

conditions may make desirable.

Any suitable means may be provided for indicating, registering or recording the rate of flow over the weir B. This rate of flow, as is well known to those skilled in the art, is a function of the height of water I level in the inlet compartment A of the weir chamber and depends of course upon the character of weir employed. The measurmg provisions conventionally illustrated comprise a float chamber I located back of the weir chamber and'connected to the inlet compartment of the latter below the lowermost level of overflow, as indicated at A and also connected to the weir'chamber above the maximum water level, as indicated at A A float P working in the float chamber P has its stem extending through the top of the latter into the casing P and connected within the latter to suitable registering mechanism which need not be illusstrated or described in detail.

'With the apparatus described it will be apparent that in normal operation the water of condensation passing into the pipe K from the condenser K and through the return connections K and I is directed by the valve member L and pipe into the inlet compartment of the weir chamber and overflows from the latter into the outlet compartment A The latter which I make of suitable capacity for the purpose takes the place, and serves the purpose of the usual hot well or receiver otherwise necessary. The measured water is withdrawn from the weir chamber as conditions demand by the feed pump H. When the water of condensation is not supplied to the weir chamber through pipe E as rapidly as the measured water is withdrawn by the pump H there is a consequent lowering of the water level on the discharge side of the weir which, if continued long enough, causes the float N to drop and open the valve F. When this occurs the necessary make up water passes into the weir chamber through the supply pipe F. Should the supply of water of condensation passing to the weir chamber exceed for a considerable time the amount of water withdrawn from the weir chamber through the pipe H the water level on the discharge side of the. weir chamber is prevented from rising to a height at which it would interfere with the free flow over the weir, and consequently with the indications of the measuring apparatus proper, by the float M which shifts the valve member L from its normal position into the position in which it diverts the water passing to the valve casing L away from v the pipe E and into the surplus water discharge pipe K It will be readily understood however that the capacity of the outlet compartment'A may be and in practice is sufficient to permit a considerable tempo-' out departing from the spirit of my invention, and that under some conditions certain features of my invention may be used with advantage without a corresponding use of other features. v

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1'. In feed water apparatus the combination of a weir chamber, a weir dividing it into inlet and outlet compartments, the latter being adapted to serve as a hot well or receiver, water of condensation and make up water supply connections to said inlet compartment, a water outlet opening from said outlet compartment, means for measuring the varying accumulation of water in said inlet compartment, means responsive to the accumulation of water in said outlet compartment for cutting ofi the supply of water of condensation to the" Weir chamber when the water level in said outlet compartment rises to a predetermined maximum height and means responsive to the accumulation of water in sa d outlet compartment for opening and closlng said make up water connection as the water level in said outlet compartment falls to and rises above a predetermined height lower than the first mentioned height.

2. In feed water apparatus the combination with a water of condensation return pipe, of a weir chamber, a weir dividing it into inlet and outlet compartments to the former of which said pipe leads While said outlet compartment is adapted to serve as a hot well or receiver for the'water of condensation, a make up water supply connection to said inlet compartment, means for measuring the varying accumulation of water in said inlet compartment, means re-v sponsive to the accumulation of water in said outlet compartment for-regulating the supply of water of condensation and make up water to the weir chamber, a closed water heater and a feed pump for pumping water from the outlet compartment of said weir chamber through said heater.

3. In feed water apparatus the combina- 'mentioned height.

tion with steam condensing apparatus, of a weir chamber, a weir dividing it into inlet and outlet compartments, means for conducting water of condensation to said inlet compartment, said outlet compartment be-,

4. In feed water apparatus, the combina-- tion of a weir chamber, a weir dividing it into inlet and outlet compartments, a water of condensation supply connection to said inlet compartment, a normally closed escape passage through which water of condensation normally passing through said supply connection and over said weir may be diverted from saidweir, a second water supply connection to said inlet compartment, a

water outlet opening from said outlet compartment, means for measuring the varying accumulation of water in said inlet compartment, means responsive to the accumulation of water in said outlet compartment for opening and closing the said second supply connection as'the water level in said outlet compartment falls to and rises above a predeter-' mined height, and means responsive to the accumulation of water in said outlet compartment for opening and closing said escape passage as the water level in said outlet compartment rises' above andtfallsto a predetermined height greater than the first GEORGE H. GIBSON.

Witnesses:

J. RALPH GIBSON,

I). STEWART. 

